Jack and the Proffesor: or Can of Worms
by ever
Summary: Ever wonder what would happen if the newsies world was turned upside down? (a.k.a. i entered it, j/k) Read this to find out... (p.s. reviews would be greatly appreciated)


Jack and the Proffesor:  
Otherwise entitled "Can of Worms"  
Part I.  
The day dawned bleak and dreary with mist coming in from the over the water and enfolding the Brooklyn Bridge in it's haze.  
"Just the kind of day for crawling back under the covers," a blue-eyed, brown haired, girl remarked. The boy, with tousled blond hair and a brown eye patch, sitting across from her grinned appreiciatively.  
The kitchen inside the Manhattan newsboys lodging house glowed with warmth and the smell of Kloppman's coffee drifted upwards towards the boys still slumbering silently, catching a couple more minutes of sleep before they went out to brave the elements. The girl, Ruth, sighed and glared out the window once more.  
"You melt in water?" the boy, Kid Blink, asked, his mouth twisting into a crooked grin.  
Ruth shot him a look and leaned back in her chair. Closing her eyes, she let the morning's feel and the warm smells of the kitchen wash over her. When she opened them again the linoleum floor, well worn and browned with age, overwhlemed her senses at first. Eventually her eyes came to rest on a tall good looking boy leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, watching her.  
"Up early again?" he asked, stepping into the room and tousling Ruth's hair a little, as she ducked to avoid his hand.  
"The early bird catches the worm," Kid Blink said, as he flashed his trademark grin again.  
"Or the coffee," Jack said, ruefully as he looked longingly towards Ruth's steaming mug.  
"Special priviliges for those sleeping in the kitchen," Kloppman said, as he entered the room for a minute to grab his hat which he had left sitting on the pole of Ruth's cot in the corner of the kitchen.  
"And for those going with the ones sleeping in the kitchen," Jack said, glancing towards the mug Kid Blink was cupping in his hands.  
Upstairs they could begin to hear the bangs of the newsies rolling out of bed and a slow murmur of complaining voices crept down the stairs into the brightly lit kitchen. The three of them rested a minute more before they went to go do their respective things. And maybe as Ruth turned back to her bed she thought that the bad weather didn't really mean so much and that all she could ask for was a feeling like the one that had just filled that kitchen and her heart.  
**************************************  
Outside the lodging house a very different type of scene was taking place. Amongst the usual passerbyes hurrying past the house there walked a very strange looking man, with a snow white beard, accompanied by a boy around the age of the previous people we visited in the kitchen. However instead of passing by the Newsboys house without so much as a glance, as most people did, this pair stopped and the older man seemed to give a grunt of satisfaction as he walked up the steps to the door.  
Once inside he took of his hat and reaveled a tuft of white hair growing upwards from his head. "Hello? George?" he called out. The boy behind glared resentfully during this entire scene and he seemed to be unaffected by the morning smells and the welcoming atmosphere that prevaded the newsboys house.  
Still inside the kitchen, Ruth, bending over her bed, straightened at the sound of an alien voice. Kloppman brushed past her into the hallway and Ruth followed, her brown curls bobbing. As Kloppman hugged the man, like an old friend, and began to pelt him with questions about himself and the boy, Ruth curiously examined the pair. She had just finished noting down the strange puffs of white hair that framed the older man's face when Jack, Mush, Racetrack, and Kid Blink tramped down the stairs also intrigued by the unfamiliar voice.  
Kloppman and his friend seemed to take no notice of the gathering crowd and only the boy glared with his icy blue eyes at the curious newsies and girl. Ruth had just begun to notice the boy. Her gaze travled from his sandy brown locks over his cool blue eyes and his worn but neat clothes all the way down to his polished shoes, creased in ever so many places yet shined with care. He had obviously wanted to make an impression, but what kind that would fit his glare, Ruth wasn't sure.  
Kloppman stopped his ceaseless questions for a moment to turn around to the newsies. They all waited expectantly for an explanation, but instead they received a sharp reprimand.  
"Out, out of all you! What are you doing standing around here? Gotta go sell the papes! Sell the papes!" Kloppman yelled, motioning with his hand for them to get out the door. The newsies tramped dejectedly out into the bleak morning.  
Ruth hunched her shoulders as a cold blast of wind, chilled through her coat. Jack noticing her shiver immediately chucked his jacket and offered it to her.  
"I'm fine," she said.  
"Suit yourself," Jack retorted.  
"What did you think of that kid?" Blink asked, interupting the gloomy silence.  
"You sure he hasn't been around here before? He looks kind of familiar," Racetrack said to no one in particular. Jack shook his head slightly puzzled by his freind's remark. If he had been at the lodging house Jack would know. Racetrack shrugged and turned to his own inner thoughts, which centered around an old apartment house on the west side of New York. But leaving him to his own thoughts for the present let's return to the boarding house and find out who this mysterious old gentleman was.  
Once the newsies had left Kloppman showed his friend into the warm kitchen, previously occupied by Ruth and our other friends. Taking out three mugs, he poured the steaming coffee into them and offered them to his guests. The profesor stretched out his hand, rather eargerly for it was very cold outside and the boy despite his resentful eyes accepted the warm cup gratefully. Cupping the mug in his hands he let the warmth run through his hands and up his arms. Maybe the glare in his eyes softened a little when he realized exactly what kind of place he was in.  
Outside the newsies were beginning to realize just what kind of place they were in. People passed by ignoring them and hurrying to get out of the rain. It was a dank and depressed group that tumbled into the lodging house that night. Eager to feast on their hard earned bread and to slumber in a well earned sleep. But immediately when they entered the boarding house they were accosted by the elderly gentleman from the morning. As Kloppman quickly introduced him as the Professor the man eagerly began to speak," I want to know all about you, everyone of you," he said. His eyes flickered from Jack's face to Ruth's eyes. "My excellent friend with Mr. George Kloppman has offered me lodging for a short time. So I want to get to know you very well. Oh yes... and this is my apprentice Danny." He motioned for the boy to come forward, but Danny stubornly held back. The Proffesor frowned and let out a small ahh of dissapointment and disaproval.  
He had a very likable yet strange appearance. Combined with his blustery way of speaking it made him an almost comic figure.  
Danny surveyed the newsies, warily. He spent a long time gazing at Jack, a tall boy and easily identified as a leader. Then, he fixed his intent gaze on Ruth. Until she saw him and blushed. He shyly returned the small smile which she offered him. And inside Blink's mind an undefined rage arose. Nothing bad had happened. Nothing to provoke his temper. But, it seemed unfair to him the Ruth, his Forever, should blush over some boy's gaze and smile shyly at him. In fact Blink could never remember Forever looking that way at him. Although he failed to realize that she never had to be shy around him, because of his boldness and crooked grin she felt right at home flashing a smile in his direction.  
In another corner of the room, Racetrack, racked his brains, for possible Dannys of his aquataince, especially ones assosciated with the aforesaid apartment building.  
"Well I got to go get ready to go to the Jacobs," Jack said, breaking the silence which had grown akward. Several newsies and Forever volunteered to go with him.  
"Eh, why don't you take Danny?" Kloppman suggested. Jack readily agreed.  
Ruth turned to Kid, who was not among the volunteered newsies. "Aren't you going to come?" she asked him.  
Kid shrugged. "Whatever I can take it or leave it," he said. A slightly hurt look sprung into Ruth's eyes and she gave him a quizzical glance. For an instant Kid was tempted to take back his words and say he'd love to come, but Jack and Danny had aproached the two of them and one more glance at Danny's blue eyes assured him that he should stay.  
Ruth swallowed the lump had risen unbidden to her throat and turned to Jack and Danny with her gayest smile. "Ready when you are," she said, as Kid Blink tramped slowly up the stairs.   
************************  
The Jacob's apartment rang with laugthter that night. Sarah's eyes shined as Jack became her living shadow hovering over whatever work she was doing at the present moment and more often than not getting in the way. But, Sarah never got angry. Jack would just flash her one of his grins and she would laugh, starting a chorus of echoing laughter around the small apartment. Racetrack, David and Ruth were playing at a game of chance. But, from their expressions you couldn't tell that Ruth and David were atleast halfway behind Race. Les hovered around the game occasionally leaving them to join Mush and Boots who were trying to teach Danny how to play poker. Outside on the fire escape Mayer and Esther Jacobs could hear another burst of laugher and merriment from the tiny apartment. It was getting late and Les's bedtime was fast approaching, but they let their guests stay awhile longer.  
Finally Ruth slapped her cards down in admitted defeat. "Okay, that's it! You win," she grumbled, as Racetrack crowed. The three of them walked over to join Mush and Boots.   
"How's he doing?" Racetrack asked, referring to Danny. Danny felt his face grow red as David bent to examine his cards.  
"Even worse than we were just a second ago," David said, laughing.  
"Hey, no one could be as bad as you, Davey," Jack's voice vibrated across the room with his thick New York accent. Taking Sarah's hand he went over to their group to examine the cards.  
"Well, where you wrong?" Danny asked, speaking out of free will for the first time that night. Jack smiled, and forgetting about the cards he leaned over, and tugged one of Ruth's curls. She had just bent to whisper something into Les's ear.   
"Don't tell him secrets about me," Jack said, grinning from ear to ear as if he rather liked having his secrets told.  
"It was just a little one, Jacky-boy. I mean what if he needs to blackmail you one day or something?"  
"What does blackmail mean?" Les asked honestly. Another chorus of laughter floated out to the fire escape.  
"Hey, Ruth, where's Kid?" David asked, abruptly changing the subject. Ruth shrugged and was saved further questioning by the Jacob parents coming in to put Les to bed. After that the party broke up and the newsies trudged home with Ruth and Jack lingering a little behind.  
"Where is Kid?" Jack asked.  
"I don't know."  
"Why not?"  
"Because he didn't tell me."  
"Why not?"  
"How should I know?" Ruth said, growing slightly angry. Jack examined her for a second and then shrugged.  
"Tell him he missed a great night," Jack said reaching to put an arm around Ruth's shoulder.  
"Tell him yourself," Ruth dogdged his grasp. Jack gave her a hurt look and then she looked downward guiltily. Quickly Jack reached over and gave her a big bear hug. So they walked home hand in hand after all.  
*************************************  
Tears blurred her vision. She quickly wiped them away, focusing on her work. A painful stinging became apparent in Ruth's eyes and she sniffed loudly. Just then Mush walked into the kitchen.  
"Ruth, what's wrong--" He started, concerned.  
"I'm not crying. It's the onions," she said as she closed up some baloney sandwhiches that Kloppman had asked to her to help him make, no doubt for some mishcheivous purpose of his own. Ruth quickly rubbed her eyes vigorously to try and stop the tears.  
Mush sat down at the table. "I just came in here to get some quiet. It's been a zoo in here ever since the Proffesor and Danny came."  
Ruth smiled. "Some people would say it was a zoo even before they came," Ruth said, joining him at the table. She squeezed his hand in sympathy. Soon Jack came in.  
"Hey Ruth--," he started.  
"I haven't been crying. It's the onions," Ruth said, pointing to her former workstation.  
Jack grinned and pulled out a chair from the table.  
"Hey listen," he said, leaning close to Ruth and Mush,"have you noticed that some guys have been acting kind of strange lately, ever since the Proffesor came?"  
"Like who?" Mush asked. Ruth knew who it was probably Kid Blink--  
"Like Racetrack."   
"Racetrack," Ruth said, sounding surprised," yeah now that you mention he has seemed kind of quiet and thoughtful lately."  
"I'd say distracted," Jack said, looking sharply at Ruth, as if to say Race wasn't the only one acting distracted.  
"We are talking about Racetrack here?" Mush said. "I'm not getting involved in any of this brother- sister mess." Jack gave Mush a shove.  
"What do you think is wrong?" Ruth asked.  
"I don't know," Jack shook his head.  
"What don't you know?" Racetrack said, coming into the kitchen. "Cuz' you know whatever Cowboy, here don't know, I do, Forever."  
Ruth laughed.  
"Hey we're all going down to Medda's. You guys wanna come?" Race asked.  
"Yeah," the three of them chorused, getting up to leave.  
******************************************************  
Medda sparkled with joy as the newsies introduced Danny to her. "What brings you to New York?" Medda asked Danny, when the newsies were involved in yet another poker game.  
"Actually I'm looking for my family," Danny said, atlast he had a chance to speak to the person he had been longing to talk to for so long. He knew the proffesor had been prodding him everyday to go and talk to Medda, but he hadn't had the courage until now. "I need to talk to you privately," he said.  
Medda smiled down at him as she led him to a little room in the back of her theatre. He reminded her so much of that little boy that she had lost so long ago.  
"I came to look for my family here, because...." Danny started," because Jack Kelley is my brother." Medda looked startled.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes," Danny said. " I went back to the place I used to live and they told me who my father was and that I had family and that my last name is Sullivan."  
"But are you sure, honey? There are a lot of Sullivans out there," Medda, said, thinking to herself that she should know.  
"No," said Danny," but I was hoping you could help me with that and with telling Jack."  
"Well you really have to do that yourself."  
"I had a feeling you were going to say that." Medda laughed.  
"To find out if its true all you need to do is go down to City Hall and get your birth certificate."  
"That easy?"  
"That easy." Danny let out a long sigh of relief. That wasn't as hard as I thought it would he said to himself. Little did he know that, that was only the beginning.  
***********************************************  
Part II.  
"Would you like a baloney sandwhich?" the professor said, extending one to Jack.  
"No thanks," Jack said, shaking his head. Sitting beside him on a park bench was Ruth strumming her fingers impatiently on the blackened wood. A twist of head could have told the whole story about how she was waiting to get back to selling papes.  
"I know this isn't a good time," the professor said, with a glance towards Ruth's suddenly still fingers," but I wanted to be able to talk to you to alone without any interuptions."  
Jack shifted on the bench slightly aware of what was coming next and slightly afraid of it too.  
"You see I'm studying brother-sister relationships and you two are the perfect case study because you are not related but you see must see that you really are brother and sister."  
Ruth gave an apprehensive glance at Jack. Sometimes when she thought about him and just allowed herself to look at him her heart rose into her throat from her emotion. She was thinking now about how she had known Jack when she was Ruth Greene and he was Francis Sullivan. Then she thought about her brief sojourn in the land of Secrets and how she had finally come to Forever.  
"I want you two to tell me your entire history," the professor said, looking at them intently.  
Jack drew a long breath. He could feel it now. Slowly creeping into his soul, the pain began to cut at him. It hurt so much that he had to suck in his breath, causing Ruth to glance sharply at him, when he thought about certain words that had flown between Ruth and he.  
The professor looked from one to the other and said," anyone volunteering to start."  
Jack shifted again on the bench and began a story, which started with Ruth Greene and Francis Sullivan but ended with Ruth "Forever" Greene and Jack "Cowboy" Kelley. At a certain point in the narrative Jack found that Forever had slipped her hand into his. He couldn't remember when it was and it probably wasn't untill sometime later that he recognized the warm pressure of it, but at some points in his story he grasped it so tightly that it was no suprise Forever had bruises there the next morning.  
***********************************  
Part III.  
"Jack can I talk to you?" It was later that day and Danny and Jack were alone in the bunkroom.  
"Sure anything you want," Jack said, absent mindedly thinking about his visit to the Jacob's that was to take place the next day. Maybe he would only take Ruth this time.  
"I don't know quite how to say this," Danny was saying," so I'm just going to be quick about it and not try and beat around the bush." He took a deep breath. All his hopes and dreams were hinged on this moment. "I think I'm your brother."  
"What?" Jack bolted upright and immediately examined Danny, to make sure someone wasn't playing a joke on him.  
"Your brother," Danny said, so releived that he had finally told Jack. "I think I'm your brother." Jack's breath was coming irregurlarly as he tried to imagine life with a brother.  
"I've been looking all my life for my family," Danny was saying, but his words fell on deaf ears. Jack got up and walked to the window. It was raining outside and he was so confused inside. Just a second ago everything had been fine, perfect and what was this now about a brother? He leaned his head against the window pane and felt its icy coolness spread over his forehead. Gaining control of himself he walked back to Danny and sat down on the bed.  
With the most encouraging smile that he could give Jack said," explain this to me again." Danny smiled back thinking that maybe his search was coming to an end.  
Jack listened to Danny's story about how the people that brought him up weren't his real parents and that his real parents had given him up. When he was old enough he had started a search for his real parents, provided with clues, he had traced himself all the way to Francis Sullivan or Jack Kelley. Of course the proffesor had helped him in all this.  
Jack leaned against a wall. It was possible he told himself the dates matched up to when he was four years old. The baby could have been born and he wouldn't have remembered. His parents could have given it up because they didn't have enough money, which would fit in perfectly with the fact that next year they had moved in with the Greenes so that they could split the rent.  
This changed everything. Jack glanced once more at his newfound brother and sighed. "Well we have a lot of catching up to do," he said.  
******************************  
All of them were there assembled in the Jacobs' apartment. Danny and Jack were going to tell them, going to tell them that they were brothers. Danny took a deep breath and looked around. How would they take it? He worried over what they would think of him.   
Jack sat in the corner wrestling with his own problems. What about Ruth, Forever, would she be upset if he didn't tell her? She had always been and always would be his sister, but would she be Danny's too. And what about Sarah? Would she be upset that she was hearing it in a general anouncement too.  
"Why the long face?" Sarah's cheerful voice, interupted his thoughts.  
"What?"  
"What's wrong?"  
"Nothing in fact everything is perfect," Jack said, kissing Sarah's cheek. He stood up. "Hey everybody, I have an anouncement to make." The room was silent. Jack held Sarah's hand and Ruth's perplexed gaze. His eyes traveled over David, Les, Race, Mush, Kid even Medda was there. "I don't know how to say this, but... but... Danny and I are brothers."  
The silence was defeaning.  
Finally Racetrack choose to speak. "Well, welcome to the family Danny," he said, clapping him on the back. That set everyone of into expressions of excitement and congratualtions. Ruth slipped across the room to Jack and gave him a big hug. Kid watching from across the room was suddenly reminded by a sharp pang of how much he loved her.  
"Why did you wait until now to tell us?" Mush asked Danny.  
"I didn't know how to say it," Danny said," but I figured that Icame into the world with little bluster and I'll go out with even less, but I might as well have some family with me when I do." And if anyone had happened to glance over to Medda at that particular moment they would have seen a sharp pained look cross her face.  
********************************  
"What do you think of Danny?" David asked Sarah, after the party had broken up.  
"What is there to think? He seems like a very sweet boy."  
David made a face. "He's a little clingy. Don't you think?"  
"Davids jealous," Les said.  
"I am not! He was clingy! He was always hovering around Jack!"  
"It actually does sound like it," Sarah said.  
"Why would I be jealous?"  
"Because you're afraid that Danny is going to take your place." David was silent for a moment.  
"I'm not jealous," he said.  
"Suit yourself," Les said.  
Sarah turned to her sewing and then turned back to David. "You're going to end up liking him. You always do," she told him.  
*********************************  
Part IV.  
Climbing the steps slowly, her head still dizzy from the party, Ruth allowed her mind to wander over Kid. He had been so distant lately. She was at a loss to explain why . She walked into the bunkroom in a slight trance. Suddenly she became aware that Kid was the only one there. He looked up expectantly when she came through the door. For several moments Ruth was frozen. Afraid her thoughts showed on her face she durriedly turned and walked out. Kid rose slightly with an outstretched arm to stop her and then froze as she went out the door.  
Within five seconds she was back, facet o face with Kid, propelled by the determination to end this once and for all.  
"What is going on?" she asked him, accusingly.  
"I could ask you the same question ," he said smiling. "You're the one that just darted in and out of here like you didn't know where you were going." He stood up and began to circle her,"only I know that you do know, because you've been living here for a while now, right?"  
Ruth shifted and balanced on one foot, while Kid continued his circle. "I didn't mean that," she said.  
Kid sobered. Shrugging, he turned away. "I don't know what you mean," he said after a moments had passed.  
Now Ruth was propelled out of real fear. "Yes you do," she said her voice getting slightly frantic. "Why are you acting like this?"  
Kid turned to her. His lips started to move to form an answer and then he stopped. "Nevermind," he said.  
"No!" It came as an urgent plea, followed by unspoken but clearly herd words. No, don't turn away from me. No, I can help. No, if you do this you know it is the end. Kid looked at Ruth for a long time and finally he turned to head for the fire escape.  
"Please, don't go away... Aren't you going to answer me!?!" Nothing met her words but silence. Kid realized with certain dodm that this was the end.  
"I'm sorry," he said, his back still facing Ruth, and he went out into the cool night air.  
A strange stinging sensation hit his eyes and the night wind cooled the burning pain.   
Part V.  
"Thanks for coming with me," Danny said, taking a deep breath.  
"No problem," Race answered. "You need someone to show those sissy clerks whose boss." Actually Danny's timidness wasn't the only reason Racetrack was accompanying Danny to City Hall. Ever since Danny's arrival he had tortured himself over telling Danny his secret or not. It really shouldn't matter. In fact it probably didn't matter at all to Danny, but to Racetrack it would mean so much. It would mean actually acknowledging his past, instead of running from it. And Race wasn't sure he was ready to do that, not just yet. Maybe he would tell Danny later, when this whole thing with Jack got settled down. But maybe there wouldn't be a later. Race glanced sideways at his friend's flushed face. He knew why Danny had specifically come now to find his family. He couldn't be sure exactly how he had found out, but one day the truth had just dawned on him. It was painful to think about it and so Race ignored it, but the more he looked at Danny the more he realized the gravity of the situation.  
Danny smiled at Race. "By the way, I know," Danny said.  
"Know what?"  
"Why you asked to come."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, I've known for a long time."  
"Why didn't you say anything?"  
"I didn't know if you remembered me."  
"If?!" Racetrack exclaimed. The past suddenly came rushing back at him. How he and this blond boy standing next had been the best of friends and playmates long ago in that dark world. "We have a lot of catching up to do."  
"That seems to be the popular phrase lately," Danny said, laughing.  
Part VI.  
"They wouldn't give it to me," Danny said, again.  
"How could they not?" Ruth asked, quite perplexed by the American judicial system.  
"Of course, I forgot," Medda said," you're not old enough. You have to be eighteen."  
Danny sighed. It seemed like he would have to wait forever and in the corner Racetrack told himself that Danny probably didn't have forever to wait.  
"What if we broke in?" Kid suggested. It was the first time he had spoken during the newsies meeting and now all eyes were one him. "The security takes a lunch break from one o'clock to 1:30. Isn't that enough time?" Kid wasn't quite sure what he was doing. He told himself that he disliked Danny because he had stolen Forever, but in his heart he knew that it wasn't true. He, himself, had driven Forever away and Danny had just been an innocent victim of his wrath.  
Jack smiled. He took Kid's asssistance as a sign of acceptance of Danny's place in the lodging house. "Listen," Jack said, bending low as though there were spies about. "If Danny, Racetrack, David, Kid, Forever and I go then we can split up into groups scout the place out and find Danny's file, before the security gets back."  
"But we don't even know where it is," Ruth said," and we've never been inside City Hall before. We don't know our way around. It's kind of unlikely that we'll make it out of there in a half hour."  
"Scared?" Kid said, giving her a mischeivous look.  
"No, practical," she answered him. forecfully.  
"I think it may be the only way to do it," Jack started.  
"Don't you think you should ask Danny what he wants?" Medda interupted. The newsies looked up suprised and then sheepishly turned to Danny.  
"If you're willing to help me. I'll definitely do it. But we might get caught and anyone who isn't sure, shouldn't come. I won't hold any grudges." The room was silent and Danny breathed a sigh of releif.  
But as the newsies made their plans the wheels in Medda's head began turning.  
Part VII.  
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Ruth whisphered fiercely.  
"Believe it," Kid said. Ruth couldn't see his expression in the darkness, but she heard only grim determination in his voice. They crept steathily along the hallway until they found the door they were looking for. Kid reached up to turn the knob and the door opened with a loud creak. It sent goosebumps crawling up Ruth's spine.  
"Kid," she said, her voice more full of fear then anything else. But he had already heard it. Loud footsteps echoed down the hallway.  
"C'mon," he grabbed her quickly and pulled her inside the room and behind a file cabinet. Ruth's heart was thundering, not only from fear of being discovered and fear of the others being discovered but also from the fact that Kid held her protectively locked in his arms and he hadn't touched her since Danny had come.  
Slowly, straining to hear footsteps, Kid realized he held Ruth in his arms. She was so small he thought and scared. He had never seen her like this. He held her closer.   
"Kid." Even in the darkness Kid could see the light of her upturned eyes.  
"Shhhh," he murmured into her hair. She rested her head on his shoulder and felt strangely at peace. Then the door to the room opened. Kid instictively released Ruth as she crawled to the edge of the file and peeked out.  
"The file you want is in here, miss."   
"Medda," Ruth gasped as the red-haired woman stepped into the light.  
"Thank you," Medda said, her voice strangely hoarse.  
"Hope you find what you're looking for," the clerk said and exited the room. Medda sat down at a table and chair to rummage through a manila folder. Ruth crawled back to Kid.   
"It's Medda," she whisphered.  
"Listen," was all Kid said.  
And as Ruth did she heard the sobbing of a woman who was learning to cry again.  
  
  
Meanwhile in another part of the building Danny and David were getting themselves into trouble as usual. Danny, in his usual harrum- scarrum fashion ran quickly into a room eager to search. Bumping into a light bookcase he had sent dozens of folders and letters flying all over the room. David entered the room and quickly flicked on the light switch. Danny stood blinking at him in the middle of a mass of papers.  
"They can't blame this one on me," David said, stooping to pick up papers. Danny quickly dropped to help him.   
Abruptly Danny looked up. "Don't hate me," he said so quietly that David almost couldn't make out the words.  
"For knocking down some papers," David said, highly amused.  
"For being Jack's brother. I'm not trying to steal your place. I just want a family," Danny said.  
David's heart melted, and even as he prepared to speak Sarah's words echoed in his ears, "you're going to end up liking him," she had said, "you always do." David smiled as he scooped up some more papers. "I think you already have," he said.  
The door swung wide open as David and Danny both looked up their faces frozen.   
"Are you people trying to get caught?" Jack said, flicking off the light switch.  
"Sorry I guess we weren't thinking," Danny said as David turned a little pink.  
"You never did," Racetrack said, reaching over to give Danny's cheek a friendly slap.  
"Enough of this we got to go," Jack said.   
"The security's back," Racetrack added.  
"Have you seen Ruth and Kid?" Jack asked.  
The two boys shook their head.  
"That girl," Jack said, pretending to be angry, but his eyes clouding with worry. "Alright you three get out of here. I'll meet you back at the lodging house," Jack said, storming out to find Ruth and Kid. Jack quickly started to search peaking into rooms only long enough to try and spot two figures. He tried to ignore the sickening dread that filled his stomach. Clutching his rope, he vowed to let Ruth really have it as soon as he found her. Then suddenly he stopped. Ahead in a room there was a light. Jack knew that he should have turned back , but the light beckoned to him, calling him, like an old friend. And as he entered the room he saw it was an old friend beckoning to him.  
Quickly he pulled a chair out and sat down.  
"Hey Medda," he said, as softly as he could and still making himself heard," what's going on?" But she just sobbed more. Jack looked around for some assistance some savior and then he saw, stepping into the light, his younger sister. She laid a hand on Medda's shoulder and immediately the sobs seemed to stop or atleast come with less violence.  
"Jack take Kid and go back to the lodging house," Ruth said, in a tone which made Jack marvel at how adult she was.  
As he closed the door to the room and followed Kid out of the building the last thing he saw was Medda look up, with a tear stained face, at Ruth and suddenly Medda smiled and Ruth smiled back.  
Part VIII.  
Jack paced up and down the floor. Kid watched him, silently. "Should we tell the others?" he asked quietly.  
"There's nothing to tell," Jack said, running his fingers through his hair. "If there was something to tell I wouldn't be here talking to you. I'd be talking to Danny."  
"Thanks."  
"You know what I meant. I can't tell him anything until I know what's going on for sure, but this is all about him and he should know what's going on."  
"And as far as we know there's nothing going on..."  
"So why tell him anything?"  
"Exactly and we don't even have to think about it because there's nothing to tell."   
Jack paused and looked at Kid. "But there is something to tell and that's why we're discussing it." Kid sighed and looked away. He didn't want to think about Danny anymore. He had been thinking about him too much lately. It had made him sick with jealousy and anger. But, why? Nothing had happened to make him jealous. Kid sighed again. He wondered if Forever knew... knew how he felt, knew that he had made a mistake. When she comes back, Kid told himself. We'll work things out, Kid told himself. Then, he sighed, again.  
******************  
Danny sat on his bunk bed. He had been very quiet since they had gotten back from City Hall. In another corner of the bunkroom Racetrack sat examining the day's races and in another David was immersed in a Tale of Two Cities.(awesome book, people! everyone should read it!)  
Presently, Racetrack got up and folded his paper. Tucking it under his arm, he crossed the bunkroom and sat down next to Danny.  
The two remained in companiable silence for a moment. Then Danny, glancing towards David, his voice barely above a whisper said,"Do you remember when I was sick?"  
Racetrack nodded and Danny continued. "I was only ten then," he said. "I wasn't so strong and the doctor was afraid that I wouldn't pull through the fever." Racetrack nodded again. He found a tear slipping down his cheek, partly for old memories and partly for the new pain he was about to experience. "But I did didn't I?"  
"You sure did," Racetrack said, his voice coming out strangely tight.  
"Yeah the doctor told me I had to be careful because I was 'delicate'," Danny said the last word with a grimace. "He told me that I shouldn't worry myself..."  
"And you shouldn't go outside a lot and expose yourself to the elements," Racetrack said, remembering how Danny had been confined indoors.  
"I guess becoming a newsie and doing this whole search for my family thing wasn't the greatest thing for my health." Danny laughed strangely and hoarsely, like he wanted to cry instead but was forcing himself not to.  
"Then why did you do it, Danny?" Racetrack said, suddenly turning to his friend.  
"Because it would have happened anyway," Danny said, looking down. "I could feel myself growing weak and I knew that I had to find my family before..."  
Racetrack gulped. "You should have been more careful. What about Jack now and the rest of us?"  
"I'm sorry," Danny said. "You'll explain to them. Won't you? When I'm gone..."  
"You're going to explain to them yourself, because you're not going anywhere."  
Danny smiled and then looked down to try and fight back the tears.  
***********************  
The door opened. To Jack it took an hour before he could see Ruth and Medda walking through the doorway. To him it seemed to be a very strange and heartbraking sight. Here was this little girl, who had once been supported by this woman, now supporting the woman herself.   
Medda looked like she had just weathered a storm. Her red hair poked out of her bun at inconvenient places and her mascara made her eyes look dark and accentated the blotches on her face. Ruth didn't say hi to Jack. She didn't smile at Kid. She said only two words," Get Danny."  
The words were said with such grim determination that even Kid had to look perplexed as Jack ran up to the bunkroom to get his younger brother. In a second the two of them were coming down the stairs. Jack had his arm around Danny's shoulder and Ruth could hear Jack telling Danny that no matter what happened they were going to be friends and to be strong and all the other things that older brother generally tell their younger ones when they've detected a crisis ahead.  
Ruth led Danny and Medda into the kitchen. Once she saw that they were seated she left, closing the door behind her. Medda and Danny were alone and the time had come.  
Medda sighed and strummed her hand on the table. "Danny," she started.  
"Wait," he said. It was almost too much for Medda to bear. Her nerves were so strained and so taught. "Wait," he said again. "Before you tell me anything..."  
"Danny, I'm your mother. Danny, I'm your mother," Medda cried, unable to hold it back any longer.  
Part IX  
"My mother?" Danny repeated the words as if he could hardly believe them.  
Medda struggled to compose herself and then finally she looked at Danny and began her story. "When I was younger I married Aaron Sullivan."  
"Aaron Sullivan?"  
"Yes, Jack's uncle to be specific. The name Sullivan probably threw you off the trail."  
"But I don't understand..."  
"Shortly after I became pregnant your father passed away and I went to live with a family. When you were born I became very sick. I had a fever for weeks and was delusional," Medda paused to let her words sink in.  
Danny thought about what this family history was going to do to his medical records.  
"When I finally pulled through the fever the family said that my little boy had died." There were tears on Medda's cheeks now and Danny was suprised to find that his eyes were filled with them too. "And I belevied them, until I met you and then I put two and two together and today I went down to City Hall to look at your records," Medda finished.  
"But how did they release them for you?"  
"I paid a visit to the family that raised you first and they released the records."  
Danny sighed and looked up at his new found mother. Choosing his words carefully he said," well I came looking for a brother, but instead I found a whole lot more than one of them and a mother."   
**********************  
Ruth sighed and ran her hands over her hair. The task of telling Jack that Danny wasn't his brother wasn't one she was looking forward to. But Medda had asked her to do it and Ruth was unable to say no. "Jack I need to talk to you." Jack nodded and followed her outside. The sun was shinning brightly overhead and Ruth was reminded of a morning not so long ago, when everything had been just the opposite. Ruth sucked in her breath and tried to picture Jack's reaction. In all the years that she had known him she had never had to tell him something like this. Medda had faith in the two of them, that Ruth could pull it off. But Ruth wasn't so sure.  
"Jack, listen it's about Danny..." She stood by Jack's side, studying his profile intently.  
"No kidding," Jack said. He seemed to be slightly impatient. "Whatever it is just tell me already."  
Ruth took a deep breath and gave Jack exactly what he wanted. "Danny is not your brother."  
"What?" Jack said. He turned to Ruth so that she could see his entire face. Very gently he put his hands on her shoulders. "Explain this to me."  
"Medda is his mother. She married your uncle and the name Sullivan was what led him to believe that you were his brother." Before Ruth could realize what was happening, in one swift action, Jack had drawn her close to him and was hugging her.  
"Thank G-d," he said. The words came out as a heartfelt prayer.  
"I don't understand," Ruth said, pulling away from him.  
Jack, his arms refusing to let her go, said," I was afraid I was going to have to tell him."  
"Tell him what?" Ruth said.  
"About his father, or my father I guess, that he's in jail and Danny was so set on finding his father I didn't want to dissapoint him by telling him the truth."  
"Do you remember your Uncle Aaron?"  
"Only what my mother told me about him. He was probably the exact opposite of my father. I was named after him you know..."  
"Francis Aaron," Ruth said, smiling.  
"Yeah," Jack said.  
"I was afraid you'd be upset."  
"Upset? That Medda found her son?"  
"That you lost your brother."  
"Not really. Danny's a good kid. He can be my brother without us being blood related. Besides in the way of siblings I have a sister who's worth a million brothers," Jack said.  
  
Part X.  
Ruth sighed and rolled her shoulders slowly back. She could feel the weights pulling down on her eyelids and could hardly wait until her head hit the pillow. Lying back in her bed, first she breathed in and then out and then turned completely over on her stomach to get a comfortable sleeping position. Grasping her pillow, she buried her face in it and closed her eyes.  
"Ruth?"  
With a grimace she rolled and looked around for the owner of the voice.  
"What is it?" It was Kid. Ruth struggled to keep the annoyance out of her voice, but Kid was keeping her from her hard earned rest.  
"I wanted to talk to you."  
"Can it wait?" Ruth said, almost tersely. She rebuked herself an instant later, for falling deeper into the trap that she and Kid had built for themselves, but then she was still too tired to do anything about it.  
"Yeah," Kid said. He got up slowly from the wooden chair he had been sitting on and walked to the door. Ruth turned back to her pillow. Just as Kid was about to cross the threshold he turned and said," no it can't wait." Ruth rolled over again. Resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get to bed soon she sat up.  
"All right what is it?"  
"I'm sorry." Kid came back to his abandoned chair and sat down. "I'm sorry that I promised you I would be forever and at the first challenge I ran."  
"Hardly the first challenge," Ruth murmured, almost incoherently.  
"Not the first challenge to you, but the first to me," Kid said. "So I just needed to tell you this now because otherwise I don't know if I ever could. Could you please forgive me?"  
Ruth leaned forward and took Kid's head in her hands. First she kissed him lightly on the forehead. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, she said," Kid I love you very much and I'm very glad that you've decided to tell me this. I forgive you."  
Kid smiled and then Ruth said," I don't want you to take this they wrong way, but unless you have any other soul baring to do I'd really like to go to sleep now. I'm really tired." To prove her point a yawn assailed her at that very moment.  
Kid smiled and then laughed. He kissed his Forever on the forehead and said," Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."  
"That you shall good man," Ruth managed to mumble as sleep overtook her.  
  
The lodging house slept in blissful contentedness that night. Kid as soon as he had come back from his visit to Forever had made sure to make his humbling apologies to Danny. Danny of course had accepted in his fumbling, shy manner and Kid found it hard to believe that he had once not liked Danny. The veil had been lifted. So upstairs they all slept in blissful harmony and downstairs Ruth's dreams were sweeter than they had been in weeks and Kloppman and his old friend the proffesor stayed up into the wee hours of the morning talking on the fire escape.  
But all was not destined to say this way...  
  
Danny awoke the next morning with a painfully obvious headache, one that he couldn't help remember and recognize, as if an old friend had come back to haunt him. Sitting up in his bed, he grunted slightly and reached up to touch his head.   
"Are you okay?" Skittery asked.  
"Yeah I'm fine, just a little headache," Danny said, trying to smile.  
Racetrack was at his side in a second. "With you it's never a little headache," he said. He put his hand to Danny's forehead and said," you have a fever, better not sell today." The words were said with a strained lightness and an iron fist of dread clamped down on Danny's heart.  
"Why don't you go get the proffesor?" Racetrack said to Snipeshooter, who was standing nearby. He nodded sleepily and tramped down the steps. Everyone seemed to proceed with a strained air of cheerfulness, as if they all realized something was wrong, but couldn't grasp just what. And as all the other boys went to wash their faces and prepare for the day, Racetrack remained by the bedside of his friend, Danny.  
Part XI.  
"Danny."  
Danny rolled over. His head felt like a ton of bricks. It was his mother. He knew that he had asked Racetrack to get her, but he had no concept of how much time had passed since then.  
She came quietly to his bedside and Racetrack silently left the room. Sitting down by the side of the bed, she took his hand.  
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner," Danny managed to say. His throat burned and every word hurt. Medda took a glass of water from the stand by the bed and handed it to him.  
"I came to tell you that I was sorry," Medda said. "I'm sorry for the first time I didn't recognize that you were still alive and for the second time when I didn't realize that it was you." Medda paused and gulped. He was her baby, her little boy. He had grown so big and she had missed it and now they had so little time left to be together. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you as a mother and I didn't see you grow up."  
Danny shook his head. "I never expected to find my parents," he said. "I hardly expected to find my brother. Meeting you and just knowing that you're my mother and that you loved me has been the greatest thing that ever happened to me." Medda was silent. Tears were coming down her cheeks. "I expect I'll go meet my father now," Danny said, suddenly.  
Medda shook her head, but couldn't trust her voice to speak. She stayed with Danny until he dozed off into a fitful slumber and then she said, "Aaron please watch our little boy and take of him for me."  
Epilogue  
He could see them all, through the haze of fever. Not many people are so privileged as him to have all their loved ones, with them when they pass on. He felt the warm pressure of his mother's hand. She looked so different her face devoid of makeup her hair pulled tightly back without it's usual gloss and yet she never looked prettier. Next to her stood Ruth, her sparkling eyes dimmed with sadness, and next to her Kid, who had finally learned to trust him. He could see Jack, with his arms around Sarah and his head resting on her shoulder, as if to hide the tears that coursed down everyone's faith. He saw Racetrack, his childhood friend of old and David, whom he had finally made peace with. The rest of the newsies were there too either with bowed heads or encouraging smiles. Kloppman was there standing next to his proffesor, Danny's proffesore, whose white tufts seemed so dear now. He closed his eyes, but still he could feel the distinct pressure of his mother's hand and eventually that too faded. And then he could feel all of them; their pain, their fear, their triumphs and happiness. Then he saw in the distance a man, whom he knew instanlty to be the father, he had so long searched for and he ran after him and he left them.  
Medda slumped and buried her head in the covers of the bead trying to hold back her tears. "Now, now," the professor said, his voice sounding strangely tight," Danny wouldn't want us to cry over him." But, even as he spoke the tears rolled down and off the proffesor's nose. They would all go on to their respective lives, destined to lead their generation. Yet everyone of them was inexplicably entwined with the other and with the lodging house they stood in. And before they went on their paths they all bowed their heads in a moment of mourning for a young boy, who as he said "came into the world with little bluster and went out with even less." But what he had forgotten to add was that he touched the lives of all within his grasp.  
  
"Good night sweet prince,  
May angels sing thee to thy rest."  
-William Shakespeare  
  
THE END 


End file.
